


Stuck in the Retro Zone

by aimai



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Drugs, Reader Insert, Spoilers, Time Travel, obviously cmon, oh boy lets see how long i can keep this story going
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 15:32:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8495611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimai/pseuds/aimai
Summary: Congrats on being accepted into Blackwell Academy!Although the days seem dozy and the students seems reckless, you find yourself smitten with the charm and aesthetics of the school and its surroundings.Despite that, it feels as if there's something amiss. You can't put your tongue on it, but with the way everyone is acting and how abnormal the town itself is, you're starting to feel restless.Life is weird that way.• feminine pronouns





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> so this is basically a fuckin concept thing bear with me

You can't remember how you got home last night.

It's an odd way to start the morning, but at least the morning started.

There's a buzzy feeling in the back of your head, yet you can't remember why. Did you take a few shots and forget about it? Did you smoke a joint and are feeling the effects later? Or perhaps... did you get roofied?

Either way, half of the night was blank. Say what you want about those Vortex kids - they know how to throw a fucking party.

The ceiling of your dorm room is staring at your tired self resting on a bed - your bed - and you can swear that in this moment, your ceiling is God, and He is judging and looking down upon you, as if he is telling you to beg forgiveness for your sinning.

Which is dumb, by the way. Ceilings can't talk.

You ignore the Ceiling God as you swing your legs off the bed, pulling your body along as you initiate the morning ritual of getting ready for the day. There's a lagging feeling in your mind, because you might as well have done this thousands of times before because school is just all repetition at this point.

The rest of the girls are awake, no doubt. What is it - a Monday? Perfect, you have class. All the more reason to drag your ass out of bed and into the showers.

So you look at your clock - 12:36 - and at first you think, oh that's not bad, but you realize that it's the afternoon and everyone is just on lunch break and you've missed half your classes.

This shocks you awake, and as you grab your towel and clothes and soap, you rush over to the showers, past Courtney, who laughs obnoxiously at your clumsy oversleeping. Fuck her, honestly. That bitch will judge any human that isn't her.

The shower is quick - the water jolts your body awake and your eyes are popping out of your skull from the panic of missing a couple of classes.

You rush to your class, chest heaving as you skip greeting Mr. Jefferson and zip through the doorway of his room, sliding into your seat before the next bell rings. You feel the stares of your peers as you plop down into your seat and rest your head upon the desk in front of you (a little too quickly, as you can feel the thud against your forehead promising you a small bruise later).

The bell rings, and Mr. Jefferson starts off by addressing you, "I know you love my class, but it's not worth a concussion."

"I just, uh," you stutter, "I woke up late. Sorry, Sir."

He doesn't seem to care about your excuse, but the rest of the class thinks differently.

The rest of the day is criticism and mockery, especially from the Vortex goons. Whatever. Fuck 'em all.


	2. Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> includes marijuana and peer pressure

"I guess this officially means you're part of the Vortex! Welcome to the club."

After your odd display in photography, Taylor wasted no time in confronting you about the party last night. She went on and on about how you "shook your hips like slut" and how you "looked so awesomely fuckable after that" and that "all the boys are drooling after you now."

And that "Victoria totally wants to talk to you later after school, in the dorm bathroom."

The proposition doesn't sound shady at all, but you're hoping that whatever shitty drunken stunts you pulled at that party - well, you hoped no one has evidence on their phones. You definitely would not like to be in the same boat as poor Kate Marsh. Especially if the asshole mastermind behind a viral video of you was Icky Vicky.

Now, of all people, you didn't expect Victoria Chase to be the one who invites you to the glamorous life of getting high and getting away with it. In all honesty, Victoria - Queen Bee of all unholy adolescence - is the biggest bitch you've ever met. And it's not just you who thinks this - the entire student body of Blackwell can confirm that she is the absolute definition of "rich bitch." Next to the Prescott boy, of course.

But to be accepted by Victoria, of all people, is a blessing, and no one can deny that (despite everyone's secret hatred and fear of her). So you accept her offer of being part of the Vortex, and she smiles and offers you a dime of weed. You can smell it as she opens up the small baggie in front of you in the girls' dorm bathroom.

"Holy shit, Victoria," you say, "Are you trying to get me arrested?"

"Relax," she says, "If you stick with me - and stay on my good side - you're basically untouchable in this town."

What are you supposed to say to that? On one hand, if you accept Victoria's offer, you'll probably get all the perks of a Queen Bee's minion. On the other hand, you'll be Victoria's bitch.

"Hello? I'm waiting. Are you gonna get fucked with us or not?" She says.

"Chill, Victoria," Courtney mocks you, "It's a school night and she doesn't wanna be late for Mr. Jefferson's class tomorrow."

"Oh totally, did you see her face?" Taylor says, "She doesn't wanna upset Mark."

The Vortex bitches of Blackwell continue their mockery, and you continue to visualize the pros and cons in your head, thinking about what everyone else would think of you if you ended up selling out for popularity and drugs.

You don't want to end up being a mean piece of shit. You don't want to end up being anything like a stereotypical Vortex asshole, or anything near it. It's the worst thing you could be condemned to. Just listening to Taylor and Courtney - fuck, you don't want to end up being like them.

Victoria bats her lashes (her very expensive designer eyelashes) and turns away from you as she pulls out a pack of skins and starts rolling herself a joint as Courtney and Taylor huddle next to her.

"Well, while you're off daydreaming," she says as she licks the gum of her paper, "I'll be off in Neverland. Unless, of course, you wanna join."

Victoria lights up and takes a hit, not even coughing as she exhales, and the entire bathroom already smells like a stoner's car. Courtney takes a puff and coughs half a lung out, and Taylor follows. Then the joint gets passed to you, and your eyes follow the smoke trail as they stare at you for what seems to be an eternity.

So this is what all those non-drug groups have been preparing you for since first grade. This is the epitome of peer pressure.

"Are you gonna puss out?"

Taylor's voice snaps you out of your daze, and as if by instinct, you take the joint and take a hit anyways. You can taste the smell and you can smell the taste and it only gets stronger as you exhale, coughing a few times along the way. Fucking hell, it hurts your throat, but a long buzz follows quickly after, and the girls smile as you pass it back to Victoria.

And there you all are, taking hits and gossiping as you hotbox the girls' bathroom. Some of the girls in the dorm come and go, but they don't question it. Some even take a hit and leave, and no one threatens to snitch on any of you.

"Welcome to the Vortex Club."


	3. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> suicide attempt, smoking, bullying

You've heard rumors about Kate Marsh. It's no surprise that she is the current hot topic of the school lately - her reputation as the sweet church girl of Arcadia Bay proceeds her. But fuck, what she did at the party is no one's goddamn business.

But that's not what Victoria thinks.

"God, she uses that mouth to spout shit about Jesus and all that crap when she could be using it for better things." Nathan says.

It's raining outside, and you can hear the pitter patter of the droplets against the window. You turn your head to drown Victoria and Nathan out, and the hypnotizing atmosphere of the clouds and the downpour takes you away from the bullshit of the Vortex duo.

"Honestly, she should be proud," Victoria says, "I feel like we did her a favor by showing her talents to the world."

At this point, the rain is literally drowning out the sounds of the rest of the classroom, but there's a sort of guilt building up in your chest that says, "You should help poor Kate."

Kate Marsh is none of your business. What she does with her body is no one's business, and the fact that her drunken frenching is being broadcasted to the world is baffling. Teenagers are pieces of shit, and you've had your share, but to be associated with dickheads that feed off of social sadism...

Your mind wanders to the idea of toppling the pecking order of Blackwell, of creating an inside job that crushes the hierarchy of teens to dust so that their power is limited, so that bullies like Victoria and Nate and Taylor and all those assholes can never hurt anyone again. You haven't done anything terribly wrong in Arcadia Bay, but you still feel like part of the problem by doing nothing.

"Jeez, [y/n], you're totally out of it," Victoria nudges you, interrupting your fleeting thoughts, "Are you fucking high right now? Say something."

You turn to her as she quirks her head and narrows her eyes as if her focus could help her see what you're thinking about.

"Victoria, why'd you let a fucking pothead zombie into the club?" Nathan tells her, as if you can't hear his loud, obnoxious voice.

"Give her a chance, Nathan. Besides, she's already proven herself at the party on Sunday. Remember?"

You say nothing, but that only irritates the two even more.

However, you are saved by the bell as it rings, as if on cue to help you out of your awkward situation, and everyone in the room scatters and Mr. Jefferson shoos all the kids that don't belong in his class out the door.

Nathan squints his eyes at you as you adjust yourself in your chair, and he leaves without saying anything.

"Where is Kate?" Mr. Jefferson asks, as if he took what you were thinking and put it out there for the class to hear.

In all honesty, you wouldn't question yourself where Kate Marsh would be at this time of day. Of course, you don't mean that in a bad way (you find that she should have some alone time to herself and that no one should bother her). You imagine Kate's probably taking a sick day to get away from all her asshole peers, and you can't blame her - the school is filled with fuckheads - but obviously your worrisome self does wonder where she is instead of class. She's a good student; why would she skip without telling her teachers?

And of course, Victoria mocks Kate openly to everyone, to Mr. Jefferson's annoyance. You know that for a fact that your teacher would just wish Victoria Chase far, far away from the school to avoid any more emotional casualties. By the way he furrows his eyebrows, you can basically see the frustration emanating from him.

But as if on cue, someone bursts into the class and tells everyone to head to the girls' dormitory, that some shit is going down and of course, everyone loses their shit and scrambles out the door as Mr. Jefferson desperately attempts to keep order in his class. You push yourself out of your chair and stand up almost immediately, but you don't move out of hesitation that you'd get written up. You don't really try to move, but Victoria yells at you, "What the fuck are you doing, move your ass!" and she grabs your wrist and pulls you out the class with her and you are forcibly pulled to the front of the girls' dorm as you can hear Mr. Jefferson sigh to himself in the distance.

"Class dismissed," he says.

The rain is almost pouring outside, but Victoria doesn't give two shits (despite her completely losing it over her shirt getting water sprinkled on yesterday afternoon).

You can only imagine what's happening at the girls' dorm that would make your photography class flip their shit. Is someone streaking? Is there a dead body? Is someone being held hostage (and even if that was so, there should be a fucking lockdown anyways). And yet, the worst scenario is what comes to life.

Kate Marsh is on the top floor. And she's about to jump.

Victoria looks at you, her expression frozen with fear as if she's regretted everything she's ever done in her life. Because this is what fucks her head over. It's not talking shit about Alyssa. It's not fucking around with Juliet. It's not literally bullying every other girl in Blackwell Academy to the point of almost ruining their social life and giving them emotional scars.

It's driving Kate Marsh to suicide.

"Holy shit... HOLY SHIT!" Is what comes out of Victoria's mouth. "FUCK! Is she gonna jump?"

Fuck, you wish you could tell Victoria off. Tell her that she did this. But you can't, not now. Now is not the goddamn fucking time because - holy shit - Kate Marsh is about to jump off and hit the pavement. Holy fuck. Holy shit. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Your mind goes to all the times you could've went up to Kate and comforted her. All the time, she was right there, in your classroom. Her room wasn't too far from yours. She sat at the same bench everyday. All it would've taken was a few minutes, and if it took an hour of your time, then fuck it, it would be worth it. But no, Kate is there, she's right there and she's about to fucking jump.

You can't say anything. No one can say anything sane at this point. No one can catch her and no one can talk her down because everyone in Arcadia Bay absolutely fucked up. You fucked up. Fuck. Fuck everything.

You zone out, and before you know it, your heart flutters and sinks as you watch Kate step away from the ledge. Max Caulfield is up on the roof with her, soaked from the rain and holding Kate close.

You look at Victoria again, and she's still frozen, but clutching her chest as you try to shake her back to reality. Her pupils are dilated, and with the way her legs are shaking, you can only assume she's having an anxiety attack or shivering from the rain. It takes a couple of rubs on her back to snap her back to reality, but the same petrified expression remains on her face.

"Vic, it's over. She's safe." you tell her.

"Fuck... Fuck, you're right," she finally snaps out of it and looks at you, "I think I need a smoke."

You say nothing. But you take her hand and lead her to an area sheltered from the rain, before she shivers and asks you for a light.


End file.
